The overall goal of this research program is to develop a non- invasive blood glucose monitor that can be used in the treatment and control of diabetes. This monitor will be based on near- infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and will allow direct measure of in situ blood glucose levels without penetrating the skin. Such an approach to glucose sensing requires new instrumentation capabilities in NIR spectroscopy coupled with state-of-the-art fiber optic technology and advanced computer-based data analysis. Before a long-term research effort toward this overall goal can be justified, the ability to measure glucose in the 1 to 20 MuM concentration range in a whole blood matrix with NIR spectroscopy must be established. The specific goal of this pilot study is to establish if such measurements are possible. If this novel approach is indeed possible, non-invasive NIR-based glucose monitors for patient home use will be designed. In addition, a NIR-based glucose monitor will be developed for application as a continuous sensor in an artificial pancreas.